Girl Gone Rogue (The Shadow Hunters #2)

14. Call Me Baby

After the unusual morning I had, it was a wonder I hadn't died of embarrassment.

"You okay there Pen?" Jude rounded the corner, pausing on his way to his office door. There was a cup of coffee in his hand as he regarded me with worry. My gaze dropped to the chains coiled around his forearms, gleaming from the sunlight that poured in from one of the windows.

"I'm fine!" I blurted out too enthusiastically, judging by the way his brows quickly shot up. "And you Mr Alpha man?"

Those brows quickly descended, narrowing. "Mr Alpha man?" He repeated, blinking.

I inwardly groaned, rubbing my temple. I was being more weird than usual. Someone strap some duct tape over my lips because I was making a sorry fool out of myself.

"Sorry, it's been a weird morning." I fought the flush spreading along my cheeks.

"Weird?" Jude craned his neck. No doubt, he already picked up on what I wasn't saying. He was scarily intuitive.

I couldn't tell him that I had literally rolled out from Alexei's bed this morning.

"Nothing Alpha. I'm okay. Seriously. No need to commit me to a specialised institution."

"I wasn't thinking that." He tilted his head, examining me carefully, "Now, what can I help you with?"

"I came to speak to you about that changeling last night." I offered.

"Come to my office." He gestured to the left. I followed him, claiming a seat facing the much larger desk where he sat in the chair. He set the mug of coffee down and clasped his hands, "I hope your ankle is healing well."

I had briefly forgotten about the injury, but I had shifted last night. There was a very slight ache that zipped along my ankle now. Other than that, it was practically healed. Tomorrow, I suspected it would be completely fine. "It's healing fine Alpha."

"Good. Maybe let your wolf surface again. The rest of the aches will disappear soon enough."

"I will." I nodded, although I didn't know the next time my wolf would surface.

Last night had been different.

"What is it about last night that you would like to speak about? You mentioned the changeling. I heard from some Enforcers of what you did. You know that was dangerous. Foolish perhaps. Things could've gone bad for the Pack Pen."

I gulped, nodding. "I'm sorry. I was more focused on my plan."

"Pack safety is always a priority Pen."

"I'm sorry."

"Your safety is also important too."

I hunched my shoulders from guilt as my heart softened. How could I have ever thought this man cruel?

When I first was admitted into the E.S training by Seamus, my first response to the man was hostility, among other things.

Jude had been unaffected by the wary stares of the Recruits. The show of no emotions unsettled me. I had heard rumours but I hadn't paid much attention to it. I had simply been surviving. Searching. Hiding. It was a sad continuous loop until doom had found me and it was too late to stall any further.

Jude sank further into the luscious looking wheelie chair. "One apology is enough. Now tell me what you came here for."

"I placed a tracking chip on the wolf's coat." I began, "I thought it wouldn't hurt to know where it was going. Maybe they congregate together or not. It could even lead us to more red-eyed wolves. The idea sounded good in my head. The execution could've been better, but I wanted to do it quickly. I wasn't sure when I would soon see one. It had to be then and there. When the wolf appeared, I took the opportunity." I didn't mention Alexei's assistance. I was sure he already knew about it, but I didn't want to put the focus on him when I was the one who had led the whole thing. I didn't want Alexei getting into trouble because of my actions.